Scraper



w. H. couR'i'NEY Dec. 1 1925- scmrnn Filed March 1,8, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 144/7. (barf/1e ATTdRNEY WITNE Dec 1,1925- W. H. COURTNEY SCRAPER Filed March 18, 1925 3 Sheets-fixed 2 Dec. 1. 1925- 1.564.126

w. H. COURTNEY SCRAPER Filed March 18, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

WILLIAM H. COURTNEY, OF THREERIVERS, CALIFORNIA.

SCRAPER.

Application filed March 18,1925. Serial No. 16,478.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. COURTNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Threerivers, in the county of Tulare and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Scrapers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined scraper and leveler including a wheeled frame, and more particularly to a novel construction of means whereby the frame and scraper blades as a unit can be lifted or raised above the ground to dump the load at any time desired, thus rendering the machine especially useful and advantageous on sandy or weedy surfaces with little or no possibility of the scraper becoming choked which is usually a source of trouble with scrapers of ordinary construction.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood when the following'detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, com bination and arrangement of parts claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this application, like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. 1

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 1- is a sectional View taken on line 41- 1 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the spindle or pivot for one of thewheels of the frame.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the bracket for said pivot.

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken on line 77 of Figure 4.

The machine forming the subject matter of the present invention embodies a wheeled frame made up of spaced parallel sides 10 which are connected by cross pieces 11 ad- ,jacent the ends thereof. As shown in Fig ure 2, each side member 10 is provided with a metallic runner 12 which extends throughout the entire length of said member, to pro tect the later from wear as the machine is moved over the ground or surface. In addition to using the cross members 11, the side members of the frame are connected by transverse members 13, which are suitably spaced apart throughout the length of the frame, and utilized to support the scraper blades or plates 14:. The members 13 are arranged between the side members 10 as shown in Figure 3, being of the same height as said members 10, while attached to the front side of said member 13 is a scraper blade or plate 1 1. These blades or plates are preferably secured by means of screws 15 although any suitable means may be employed for this purpose. Furthermore while I have shown three of such transverse members 13 in Figure 1, I desire to have it understood that the scraper and leveler in its entirety may be of any desired size, and any number of such transverse members 13 and blades 14 may be used on any one machine. As hereinabove stated, the frame ismounted on wheels, which are used in pairs adjacent the opposed ends of the machine, the wheels of each pair being indicated at 16.

The mannerof mounting these Wheels so that they can-be shifted to properly guide the machine, and the manner in which the Wheels are used in connection with the means for raising or lowering the frame with relation to the ground, constitutes the gist of this invention, so that the scraper may be varied in any suitable manner without dearting from the spirit of the invention.

ach wheel of each pair is mounted in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 5 to 6 inclusive and these wheels are associated with the outermost transverse members 13. For each wheel I employ a substantially U- shaped bracket 17 whi'ch is formed with a lug 18 adapted to be received by a clip 19 secured to the adjacent transverse member 13. The lug 18 is pivoted in the clip to allow the wheel and bracket pivotal movement in a vertical plane which of course is necessary to permit the frame to be lifted above the ground in a manner and for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The spaced parallel members 20 and 21 of each wheel bracket are arranged in superimposed relation, and provided with aligned openings 22 to receive the pintle or pivot 23 for said wheel, this pintle 23 passes through the yoke 24 on which the wheel is j ournalled, the intermediate portion of the yoke being of course received by the bracket 17 as clearly shown in Figure 7, the yoke is held fixed with relation to the pivot 23 by means of any suitable element 25 which is threaded into the yoke and is adapted to be received by a notch 26 in the pintle .the openings 40 just referred to.

23, as shown in Figure 7. The pintle supports an inverted L-shaped arm clearly illustrated in Figure 5, the vertical portion of said arm being indicated at 27 and the horizontal portion at 28. The last mentioned portion is provided with openings 29 one of which is adapted to receive the offset extremity 30 of an operating rod 31 which is utilized to turn the wheels 16 in a horizontal plane for the purpose of guiding the machine as will be readily understood. Of course each pair of brackets 17 is connected by a cross link 32, so that the wheels of each pair are turned in unison. The operating rods 31 for the wheels at the forward end of the machine have their corresponding extremities connected with links 33 which are pivoted at points between their ends upon the cross members 34 connecting the side members 10, while the same links are also associated with the corresponding extremities of the operating rods 35 for the wheels adjacent the other end of the machine. In this manner both sides of the wheels at the front and rear of the machine are simultaneously operated to guide the machine.

For the purpose of raising or lowering the frame with relation to the ground, I employ a beam 36 at each end of the machine, and these beams are pivoted as at 37 upon uprights 38 which rise from the cross member 32 above referred to, which member connects the brackets for each adjacent pair of wheels as stated. It might here be stated that each bracket is formed with an extension 39 having an opening 40, and upon which extensions the cross member 32 reposes being secured thereto by suitable fastening elements 41 adapted to pass through In addition to being pivoted as at 37 each beam is pivotally connected as at 42 to an upright 43 rising from the transverse member 44 which reposes upon the upper edge of the side members 10 and secured thereto in any suitable manner. The forward end of each beam I v is connected with the vertical branch 45 of a bell crank lever by a block and tackle arrangement indicated generally at 46, the bell crank lever being pivoted as at 47 upon another transverse member 48 arranged upon the side members 10 of the frame in spaced parallel relation with the member 44. The

horizontal branch 45 of this bell crank lever is connected with the adjacent end of the beam 36 by means of a link 49, and the various parts are normally arranged in the manner illustrated by full lines in Figure 3, with the wheels 16 and the runners 12 of the frame reposing upon the ground. The machine is moved over the ground in the ordinary well known manner, and the blades 14 carried by the transverse members 13 utilized The machine of course may be moved by a team of horses or a tractor, but with machines of the ordinary construction, the latter usually becoming choked when used on weedy or soft and sandy surfaces. lVith the present invention, the frame together with the blades 14 can be easily and conveniently raised above the ground from time to time to relieve the machine of its load, weeds or other material which would have a tendency to choke the machine, so that the latter can be used to good advantage where other machines are not particularly useful. To accomplish this end, it is only necessary to pull upon the free end of the cable forming part of the block and tackle connection between the beam 36 and the bell crank lever 45 in order to swing the lever 45 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3. This shifts the beam 36 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, and as this beam is connected with the frame as at 42, the frame is raised above the ground and with relation to the wheels 16, the pivotal connection 50 between the wheel bracket and the ch 17 allowing'the wheels to assume the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 3.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages ofthe invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a frame adapted to repose upon the ground, scraping and leveling blades supported transversely thereof, and normally engaging the ground, wheels mounted on said frame and capable of both vertical and horizontal pivotal movement, means for simultaneously shifting said wheels to guide the machine, and means for lifting said frame and blades above the surface of the ground and with relation to said wheels, said last mentioned means including a beam pivoted above said frame, and connected therewith at a point between its ends, a bell crank lever pivoted on said frame, a link pivotally connecting one end of the lever to the adjacent end of the beam, and a block and tackle connection between the remaining ends of said lever and beam respectively.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a frame adapted to be moved over the ground, scraping and leveling blades supported transversely thereof, wheels mounted in pairs upon said frame and capable of both vertical and horizontal pivotal movement, a transverse member connecting each pair of wheels, means whereby all of said wheels may be simultaneously shifted to guide the machine, a beam arranged above each pair of Wheels and pivotally mounted upon the cross member connecting said Wheels, means connecting the beam With said frame, a bell crank lever piv- 1 oted on the frame for each beam, a link connecting the adjacent ends of said lever and beam, and a block and tackle connection connecting the remote ends of said beam and lever, whereby said beam can be moved upon itspivot to elevate the frame with relation 1 to the ground and said Wheels as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM H. COURTNEY. 

